I’m obsessed with this idea…
There is a better, more beautiful way. I want to be about this. And I want to be working together with Kingdom of God people who are about this.
Admittedly it is not a fully formed thought—not for me anyway, not yet. But like I said, I’m obsessed with it. I can’t stop thinking about it. One of the ways I like to work on unformed ideas is to talk about them (or tweet them).
Last week I tweeted… Read More
Here’s my Sunday Shout Out offerings – what I read and loved from around the internet this past week. Serious, this stuff is good. Ya gotta check these out…
1. This Post by Richard Beck: Love Well Locally.
The premise of this post is about Richard being asked how he keeps his self-esteem in check – given that he is asked to speak at… Read More
The following is a true story…
In a land far, far away (Yakima, Washington), I was riding high. My youth ministry was the biggest thing in town and we were on the verge of launching another service at Central Washington University. I had several employees working for me and a crazy band of leaders who would do just about anything for the cause.
Great things were happening. We were making a difference in the lives of young people and it was having an impact on our city.
Also, I was full of myself. I felt successful and was… Read More
Today is my mom’s memorial service. My dad and the four of us kids all wrote something to be shared at the service… and here is what I wrote:
* * * *
When people talk about my mom, I often hear them say things like, “She lit up the room with her smile,” or “She is so sweet.”
Yes. It’s true. I can’t argue with that.
But I do have something to add.
My mom is a strong woman. And by strong, I mean… Read More
This past Sunday I spoke on the story of Ruth – about how she lived out a faithful “with-ness.” When Ruth told Naomi, “Your people will be my people,” she was saying, “I’m WITH YOU in this.”
Here are the concluding lines of the sermon:
What is brave? To be faithful, even when other’s aren’t. It’s brave to live out a faithful with-ness, while others have chosen to avoid eye contact and walk on the other side of the street. God help us to be brave.
The picture at the top of this post is from Saturday’s Great Big Backpack Give. DJ Schug is standing with his friends from school. Last Fall, DJ’s mom discovered a “How to speak Arabic” text book in DJ’s school bag. When she asked him about it, he… Read More
I particularly enjoyed David Benner’s chapter “Otherness” while reading his book, Soulful Spirituality: Becoming Fully Alive and Deeply Human. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
Soulful spirituality invites us to do a better job of recognizing and prizing the otherness of others rather than simply seeing them as extensions of ourselves or using them as containers for our own projections.
This is what Jewish philosopher Martin Buber had in mind when he distinguished between “I-Thou” and “I-it” relationships. We relate to someone as… Read More
I’ve been on vacation – or “holiday” as they call it where my family and I have been – for the past month. For the last two years, we’ve been dreaming about, saving for, and planning this trip.
We had places we wanted to go and specific sights we wanted to see.
Two years of planning builds a lot of anticipation. We were stinkin’ excited to go on this European adventure!
On a daily basis, our eyes were wide with wonder. A number of times on this trip I whispered “My God” – not in a flippant or take-the-name-of-the-Lord-in-vain kind of way, but in… Read More
I recently wrote about our addiction to adventure. Here’s a brief excerpt:
Yes, there is something repetitious about the Christian life. Following Jesus isn’t necessarily about going into new territory every day. Often, it’s about doing the same things over and over and over…
Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” —Luke 9.23
Taking up one’s cross daily is – I don’t know any other way to say it – repetitive. Even Jesus (who was perfect) participated in these repetitive things.
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Richard Beck has written a great post entitled “A Million Boring Little Things” in which he says…
Being more and more like Jesus is a million boring little things.
Here’s his entire post—seriously, read it.
* * * *
I was talking to one of my students recently about the temptations of youthful spirituality, how when you are young you get addicted to the buzz of the worship high and then go searching for a more intense… Read More
Here’s what I really enjoyed reading online this past week…
This post, I Need To Hear From Women, by Sarah Christine Schwartz.
My favorite line(s):
I need to see the daughters of Mary operating in the dignity that was given to them at the tomb as the first people to carry the message of the gospel.
I have a deep love and high regard for the men who have taught me from the pulpit and the lectern—I’ve needed and need them, too. But I don’t ever think there is going to be a lack of their voices in my life to tell me about Jesus.
I need a… Read More
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the repetitive nature of the Christian life. Yeah, I know, this isn’t exactly an “amen” worthy point. It is true though.
Eat this bread. Drink this cup. Do it again. And again.
I mean, when will we have read our Bibles enough?
Is it possible to have fulfilled the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself” so we never have to do it again? Can someone say, “Oh, I already did that, so I don’t have to love neighbors anymore.”
And what if the church isn’t teaching us anything NEW? Y’know… stuff we haven’t heard before? Where’s all the next level stuff? Gimme some of that!
What about giving? Can ya hit a certain level and just be done with it already? You know, kind of like that High Striker carnival game with the heavy sledge hammer and the bell thingy?
Ding ding ding ding ding! Congratulations. You’ve hit the level. You’ve arrived. You never have to give again!
And what about forgiveness? How many times do we really have to forgive the same… Read More
